Mark Huff

Mark Huff

NASHVILLE-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER MARK HUFF’S NEW ALBUM STARS FOR EYES BREATHES REAL LIFE INTO TALES OF LOVE, LOSS AND MYSTERY With Grammy-winner Chad Brown producing, Huff’s new compositions— and one Leonard Cohen classic—reinforce his reputation as a heralded Americana song craftsman and poignant vocalist while expanding his sonic vision with the support of a superlative musical cast. Release date is March 23 on Exodus Records. NASHVILLE, TN — “There are two kinds of singers: the ones you believe and the ones you don’t,” observes Mark Huff. “Anything that’s good stems from honesty.” You can hear the ring of honesty throughout Huff’s ninth solo release, Stars for Eyes, as he negotiates the highs and lows of love and life in its 11 songs. But like real life, there’s nothing simple about the characters that populate his tunes or their emotions. As Huff knows, even the bliss of falling in love can be laced with conflict—a duality he captures perfectly in the title track’s shimmering sonic dreamscape, elegantly painted with steel and electric guitars, keyboards, and an angelic choir of female voices to support the balance of limerence and doubt in his arcing vocal melody. Stars for Eyes follows his 2016 Americana tour de force, Down River, which ranged from full-tilt roots rock to gospel-fueled allegory, all spiked by Huff’s expert writing, open-hearted vocal performances, and ear for perfect musical support. In his new album’s “I Know You Don’t Want My Love”—a number driven by Huff’s own acoustic guitar—he ventures into darker territory as the song’s narrator is driven toward madness and even, possibly, murder, by cold-hearted rejection. All the while, the warm, wailing tones of an effects- laden pedal steel played by Russ Pahl (Pretenders, Dan Auerbach, John Hiatt, Lana Del Rey) provides ghostly commentary. Huff is also joined by a host of other accomplished players on Stars for Eyes, which was produced by Grammy winner Chad Brown, who has worked with Ryan Adams, Faith Hill, Gretchen Peters, Tom Russell, Dr. John, and Hayes Carll. Brown won a Grammy in 2015 for his work on Mike Farris’ Shine for All the People. Other guests include guitarist Doug Lancio